[Bun Cha Quest]: Danyi Gao's Serving Authentic Bun Cha in Lippo Plaza

What's this we hear from a basement floor of a mall off Huaihai Lu? Danyi Gao has opened up Bun Cha Cha, dedicated to Hanoi's favorite dish? We dusted off our Vietnamese food expert, bought him lunch, and asked him what he thinks.

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Filling a basement spot in Lippo Plaza with wicker-backed chairs, white tiles and leather couches, Bun Cha Cha is the brainchild of Chef Danyi Gao (also of Shake). Next to its namesake, it's serving up a short list of salads and small bites like chicken wings and fresh or deep-fried spring rolls.

That's nice. Whatever! Bun cha. 58rmb for the pork/chicken (bun ga) or 68rmb for beef (bun bo). We got the pork and beef.

Presented on a woven platter is a small heap of cold vermicelli noodles, pickled vegetables, lime wedges and a spread of lettuce, Thai basil, mint, perilla and coriander. Veritable herb garden. Also a heaping, generous helping of BBQ'd meat. Mix your own proportions of fish sauce, lime juice, chili and fresh garlic in the bowl provided. Dip'n stir, or wrap it in a lettuce leaf like it's Korean BBQ.

Hien: "Quite authentic. The marinade flavour is spot on. Pork better than the beef (no surprise there). In Hanoi, it'd come with some green mango slices, though... Could we get like a mixed platter? Or like a bigger version for 88rmb?"

Burned through the vermicelli pretty quick. We asked politely for a top-up and got another bowl with zero fuss. Danyi confirms that's a feature, not a bug.

During soft-open, you get a free Vietnamese coffee with every order of a bun dish. That lasts until March 28, after that, you're paying 35rmb. Speaking of soft open, the deep-fried Vietnamese spring rolls, a quintessential side dish, were not available.

No pho available either, though there was banh mi. We didn't try either. We're not 100% sure they need to be there. The bun cha's good enough to stand on its own.

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